FIFA’s decision to suspend United States striker Folarin Balogun’s match ban after he was given a red card has drawn strong criticism from former players, match officials and commentators.
Balogun was red-carded in the US match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
In a challenge on Tarik Muharemović, Balogun stepped awkwardly on his opponent’s ankle.
Referee Raphael Claus did not discipline Balogun initially, but gave him a red card after watching a replay of the clash on the Video Assisted Referee (VAR) monitors.
Here’s a closer look at that tackle:
Folarin Balogun’s foot slightly pushing on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle. (AP: Jeff Chiu)
Folarin Balogun’s foot rests on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle. (AP: Jeff Chiu)
Tarik Muharemović falls as Folarin Balogun’s foot is clear from his ankle. (AP: Jeff Chiu)
Folarin Balogun and Tarik Muharemović on the ground after the tackle. (AP: San Francisco Chronicle/Stephen Lam)
Here’s a shot of it from another angle:
Folarin Balogun with his foot on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle. (AP: Martin Meissner)
A close image shows the studs from Balogun’s boots making direct contact with Muharemović’s ankle:
Folarin Balogun’s foot on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle. (AP: Martin Meissner)
But punters were immediately questioning the referee’s call.
Many said the red card was undeserved
At the time, the general consensus among commentators was that the red card was too harsh.
The ABC’s David Hirst posted on the live blog of the match:
“Not sure where Balogun is supposed to put his foot. Looks a lot worse in slow motion.“
Andy Davies, a former English Football League referee, told US broadcaster ESPN Balogun should not have received a red card:
“With both players challenging for ball, the contact from Balogun on Muharemović, while it looked bad in slow motion, was purely accidental and an unfortunate result from two players challenging for possession of the ball in a normal football movement.“
In coverage for The Guardian, Beau Dure said the contact looked accidental:
“I’ve seen dozens of worse plays in this Cup that haven’t even been punished with yellow.“
Balogun told reporters on Friday he thought a yellow card would have been “fair”, but he accepted the decision.
“It’s something I have to accept and just move forward from.“
Tarik Muharemović reacting after the tackle. (AP: Julio Cortez)
He went on to talk about maintaining his composure in the moment.
“I think it was just important to stay calm,” he said.
“I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion.
“There’s still lots of people we’re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things even when you think it’s unjust.”
While the call was controversial, it stood.
And it meant Balogun was out for the upcoming match against Belgium.
Referee Raphael Claus shows a red card to Folarin Balogun. (AP: Julio Cortez)
Then came the call from Trump
US President Donald Trump got involved, personally asking FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the call.
“All I did was ask for a review,” Mr Trump told reporters when asked about his conversation with Mr Infantino.
“I didn’t say, ‘you have to do this’.”
Tarik Muharemović and Folarin Balogun fall to the ground after the tackle. (AP: Julio Cortez)
Mr Trump told reporters he thought the referee’s call was “horrible” while admitting he wasn’t aware of how the red card rule worked.
“He gave him a red card, I didn’t know what that meant, I didn’t think it meant much,” he told reporters.
“Then I started hearing that that means you can’t play in the next game … that’s very unfair.
“It’s one thing to penalise somebody for the game, but how do you penalise them for a game that hasn’t been played yet?
“That’s very unfair.”
Balogun’s match ban suspended
On Sunday, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee came out with a ruling allowing Balogun to play without rescinding the red card.
Here’s some of the statement from FIFA on that:
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee also imposed a fine of $US40,000 ($57,500).
The move was applauded by Mr Trump.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice,” he wrote on social media.
‘Wrong in every way’
While many agree the red card was too harsh, criticism is being heaped on FIFA’s decision to change the outcome of that call.
English football legend Wayne Rooney told the BBC it was “an absolute disgrace”.
“Infantino should be ashamed of this,” Rooney said.
“The sportsmanship of this game is in question here.
“It’s wrong in every way.”
Debate on the decision raged on social media, news websites and football broadcasts in the lead up to the match.
Meanwhile, Balogun was gearing up to play.
The 25-year-old took to the pitch with the controversy hanging over his head.
Folarin Balogun played against Belgium after his red card match ban was suspended. (AP: Lindsey Wasson)
The US ultimately lost its match against Belgium, going down four goals to one.
But while the suspension decision did not result in the US advancing to the next round, experts say the impacts of FIFA’s suspension decision will continue to reverberate long after the final whistle blew.
FIFA’s integrity called into play
The story has become much bigger than Balogun’s clash with Muharemović.
It’s about FIFA’s integrity, University of Cambridge PhD researcher Josh Bland says in a piece for The Conversation.
“In simple terms, this appears to be a case where an apparently settled disciplinary decision has been reversed due to political lobbying,” Mr Bland says.
“Once supporters begin to question not simply the outcome of individual refereeing decisions, but the legitimacy of the system itself, it corrodes the implicit trust and uncomplicated beauty of the game itself.
“Once lost, those things are exceptionally difficult to rebuild.”
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